Something Only Francesco Sees
by Netbug009
Summary: Crime never leaves the world of racing alone, and the MI6 never leaves crime alone. But Francesco Bernoulli has bigger problems like finishing off another winning season, preparing his pit crew for the new World Grand Prix, and dealing with an extremely annoying critic. Francesco/OC. Some M/H, L/S.


**A/N: **Hey _Cars_ fandom! Long time no see!

As you know if you read my announcement at the end of my last multi-chapter fic, _The First Date_, this story has been in development for quite a while. Since not long after the film came out, actually. I have a folder and a bunch of filled pages in a notebook of snippets and plotting. Enjoy!

As the title alludes to, this will be a fic about everybody's favorite Italian formula car, but first, we have a little setup to do, so let us see what some other old friends have been up to on their own adventures...

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**Something Only Francesco Sees**

By Netbug009

At 0315 hours Central European Summer Time, in an "abandoned" warehouse not far from the Élorn River, all Shell broke loose.

While the dim lighting and the maze of shipping containers had helped the secret agents remain undetected for almost an hour, there was only so long the partners could hide and observe when their mission was to free a hostage. Even against such amateurs - _cheap_ amateurs, who should have coordinated a better security system than simple carpower - it would have taken a much lower IQ than required to even put together a ransom message to not keep the prisoner well guarded. Sure enough, alarms started blaring and red light filled the building when a guard spotted the infamous Holley Shiftwell.

It had been about two years since Holley was reassigned from C.H.R.O.M.E.'s technical department to the field at the request of none less than the British Intelligence's finest agent, but while McMissile's insistence on the rookie becoming his partner had shortened her transfer time to less than a day, she still felt more like Finn's trainee than his equal when it came to stealth and combat. What _did_ make her an asset, however, was her advanced computing savvy. Even as the young spy raced through the halls to avoid getting shot until she could regroup with Finn, Holley was scanning every shipping container she passed, looking for differences of construction, heat radiating from inside... anything that could set it apart as a rudimentary cell. She was regretting not asking Finn more about the hostage's VIN, model, and other potentially scannable aspects during the briefing. Finn made an effort to tell Holley everything she would need to know for each mission, which in this case had simply been that some French resistance that apparently thought this was still WWII had captured a celebrity, but Finn's older systems meant he could underestimate what Holley's were capable of.

"Finn," she called over the communications channel, as she continued to scan boxes and occasionally use her electric shock system on a resistance member that got too close for comfort, trying to not let her nerves falter in her speech, "I'm being pursued by several assailants. Have you gotten any information on where the hostage might-"

The sound of metal being smashed over and over again echoed through the warehouse.

Holley kept driving as more of a habit in dangerous scenarios than by any rational thought. Her audio receptors scrambled to try and figure out where the chaos – possibly carnage – was coming from, and she kept mental note on the seconds that were passing without a response from her partner. Above scanning each box in an orderly fashion, her priority became losing her pursuers, and she started turning any corner she came across no matter how lost it made her.

"Finn!" Her communications grew frantic. "Finn, come in! Over! If you can respond, please-"

Holley found herself driving into a large, rectangular space in the middle of the warehouse, completely surrounded by shipping containers sans a couple entrances from the maze. She skid to a halt.

She was idling before at least a dozen French automobiles, all different models, all painted with the enemy logo.

All pummeled into submission.

Well, except for one last car Finn was just now tossing aside like a used oil can. He turned to Holley and the ghost of a smirk passed his featured before he pretended she wasn't there. "This is Finn McMissile responding to Holley Shiftwell. Sorry Miss Shiftwell – I was a bit tangled up – over."

Oh, _hardy har har._ She knew than Finn must have been truly caught up to not have responded immediately, but she still didn't appreciate his sense of humor. Especially when they were still looking for...

_Beepbeepbeep._

...The hostage, who was apparently in the red shipping container a few feet behind a moaning Bugatti Type 101. Holley drove over to the container and made short work of the lock with a precision laser she had been issued about fourteen months ago. Finn hovered behind her with several guns at the ready - in case of a last minute ambush - and Holley cautiously opened the container and drove inside. The only light was leaking in from the rest of the warehouse; Holley activated her headlights at the dimmest setting to avoid startling the poor soul. "Don't worry, we're from the MI6. We've come to rescue-"

The hostage interrupted her well rehearsed speech with a delighted gasp. "Holley!"

"Ah..." The paint rushed from Holley's face and she switched to her high-beams."_Mater?_"

She didn't get to react any farther before the truck – far too lively for somebody who had just been in solitary darkness for at least 48 hours - swung his cable and zoomed out of the container, towing the staggered spy behind him and releasing her next to himself and Finn.

"I was wonderin' if you twos was gonna be the ones to rescue me! Well," his eyes diverted from the partners for a moment, "I was mostly wonderin' 'bout if anycar knew where I was to come rescue me in the first place, but when I thought 'bouts getting found I was hopin' it'd be you guys! How ya been?"

Holley just stared at Mater, aghast, her face still pale.

And then she turned to Finn.

"_Mater!_ Mater was captured and you didn't tell me?"

And back to Mater.

"A-are you hurt? Have you gotten any sleep? Have they fed you?"

And back to Finn.

"Mater! _Mater _was the hostage! How was that _not_ important information in the briefing?"

"Miss Shiftwell," Finn replied calmly, "this is exactly why I kept the hostage's identity under wraps from you. If you had known the situation beforehand, your emotions - and thus you - would have been compromised."

"No I wouldn't have! What makes you so sure of that?"

Finn didn't even justify that question with an answer. A couple seconds later, Holley took recognition of her behavior and the color started to return to her face. Just the red color, to be specific.

Mater picking this moment to close his eyes and snuggle Holley's fender didn't help.

"I'm good. Jus' glad to see you. What's it been now, a month? You get so busy with yer spy stuff, but I know you has fun and help a lotta cars."

_Having fun?_ Not at the moment. In fact, times like this made Holley question her own sanity. After all, look at her choice in a partner/boss.

And look at her choice in a _fiancé_.

Yet no matter how many times Holley asked herself what her ideal life would be - not counting that _Sir_ Tow Mater was the target of more criminals than she'd prefer - she couldn't find a single thing she would want changed, much less being without the two cars that meant the most to her.

A faint smile fought its way to her bumper. "Yes, it has. Good to see you too."

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A/N: Like I said, this is indeed a story mainly about Francesco, but there's a fair deal of stuff in the espionage world that needs set up after two years... plus I get to slip a little M/H in. :B

As always, critique is very much encouraged. I'm a bit out of the swing of things when it comes to writing, so I can use all the help and comments I can get. Thanks in advance for any reviews you give me, positive or negative!

(No unique cover for this story yet. I'll probably add one later. I've doodled enough stuff for this. )


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